Ever open your computer and after ten minutes of checking email and other non value-add junk you ask yourself, “Why did I open my computer again?”

Yeah.

Let’s not do that again.

Put your phone inside, or put your hand inside.

Put both inside, and you ought to take yourself outside.

Breath the air. Walk around.

Find something awesome.

Be an alien.

Be in awe.

Be active. Be still.

Be a human fucking being.

Long projects. Detailed assignments. Productive quarters.

You get in your groove and don’t want to get out.

It’s tough to take a day or five minutes or two weeks.

The groove is great.

But with a short, regular break, you can get back in the groove easily and probably a bit deeper.

And of course, you may realize you were in the wrong groove all along.

Even better.

The best life experiences fly by in a blink.

So, take a minute to feel the ground beneath you.

Because flying by is good.

Actually flying? Not so much.

[Thanks, Jonah.]

I write this blog in the second person.

You, you, you.

But ever quarter I publish an out of office message. The one that actually gets sent from my personal email.

Why? Because every quarter, I take a short break. You should, too.

It’s difficult for me to actually practice what I preach. I get in the groove and don’t want to get out.

Instinctively, I want to write and schedule posts for the time while I’m on vacation. But the absence is beneficial for everyone.

So here it is. This my Q3 2016 out of office reply.

It’s similar to this one, this one and this one. But it certainly has evolved.

Enjoy.

All the things you could ever need (while I’m away until 9/12/16)

I’m on break and will be back 9/12/16.

By the time I return, I will be a married man.

I’m excited for the weekend, to celebrate with family and friends. Of course.

But mostly I’m excited to finally call this woman, Shalva, my wife.

You can find a few more details about the wedding right here.

More importantly, the following will probably answer your questions while I’m away:

Answers to your questions

How do I get my Vitamix Starter Kit? Fill out this form to get it sent to you immediately (via Mailchimp).

When’s the best time to get a Vitamix? I’m just about ready to get one. Awesome. You can get one right now for $249 on Vitamix.com and $319 on Vitamix.ca. Best deal I’ve ever seen. Several friends and family have already taken advantage. I wouldn’t wait, though. When they’re gone, they’re gone.

I’d like to offer you my SEO / Web development / penis enlargement services. Are you ready? I really wish I hadn’t sent this autoresponder to people outside my contacts.

Last thing:

95% of my waking hours are spent dedicated to people on the Life is NOYOKE email list. You can get on it right here.

The summer olympics are the perfect illustration of how to live your life.

You can treat your life as a marathon and look emaciated, tired, and listless.

Or, you can treat it as a series of sprints and look vital, strong, and alive.

Marathoners and sprinters are both elite athletes, of course.

But only one of them practices the art of going hard and then taking a break.

There’s no badge of honor for being the last one to go home.

And despite what they’ll say, there is one for being the first.

There are going to be times when you’ll want to offer excited, congratulatory praise.

• Wow, that’s great!
• Good for you, man!
• Yes!
• You did it!
• Way to go!

Well, if it’s appropriate, use this one:

“I’m so proud of you.”

Nothing feels better to hear.

Nothing.

Nobody suddenly:

• Stops eating meat
• Starts working for themselves
• Stops speaking negatively about other people.

Huge lifestyle changes come at their own pace.

And they come naturally.

Before you know it, doing it the old way will feel completely wrong.

Wait for it.